20 October 2013

Amelia lost her first top tooth yesterday! She has the cutest gap now and a lisp to go along with the gap. After lunch she told me her tooth was hurting. It was barely hanging on by a thread. I convinced her to let me try one yank with a tissue. It did not even take much and out it popped. She was not even aware it came out. She immediately began to plan an art project for the tooth fairy. She decorated a white envelope. I wrote: "Tooth Fairy, there is a tooth inside" using cursive because the tooth fairy reads cursive writing. The tooth fairy left her a dollar and a handful of tic tacs. Amelia came into our room around 4:30 clutching a handful of sticky tic tacs. She wanted to know what the tooth fairy left! Most of the candies were ruined by her sweaty palm.

The kids are suffering from terrible table manners lately. Justin gave a fun FHE lesson on using table manners. Amelia helped make some table rules. Seems like there is a lot of complaining, animal noises, and wandering around during dinner. Amelia is setting a much better example this week for good table manners. We made paint bags for a pre-dinner activity. I put about 3 tablespoons of fingerpaints in a large gallon bag and taped the top shut. The kids then can mix the paints up and draw with their fingers or dull objects. They played with the bags all week long. It is fun and clean!

Phillip used several strange containers to drink from this week. The grossest was a nettie pot, normally used to clean out one's sinuses. He filled it with water, took a swing and spit it out into another cup. Then he took a straw and stuck it through the nettie pot spout and blew water all over the couch, wall, and carpet. It did make a pretty cool sound. He also carried around a watering can as a fun drinking container. My favorite was when he used a medicine dropper to drink his tomato soup.

Our weather was touch and go this week. Fall is definitely here! We need to harvest our carrots this week before a deep freeze sets in. I discovered a spot on our yard with amazing light...thanks to Everett. He loves to stand behind a lilac branch to hide. Course he is in plain sight but when he hides his eyes behind the branch he becomes invisible. I had a fun time playing peek-a-boo with him. He is so silly. He loves to be a superhero to the rescue out in the yard. He pushes Phillip on the swing to the rescue. We love all the yellow leaves our weeping ash drops in the yard. Makes a fun color contrast.

Wednesday I had a photo session with Brenton Christian, a young man in my ward. It was nuts. Evelyn usually naps from 3:00 to 5:00, Murphy's Law dictated that she was awake and fussy the entire time. I ended up nursing her way off schedule to stop her crying. The Jones' family watched her spur of the moment while I took an hour to finish Brenton's photos. The Jones' have three teenage daughters! I think they were in baby heaven! I picked her up at 5, nursed her in the van while Brenton set up the net at
the soccer fields. Took a couple soccer photos and corn field photos, nursed
her again, then went home. In an effort to earn some Christmas money I offered
6 photo sessions through December. Maybe I am crazy…darn it, one down 5 to go.

Amelia loves school. She is a reading Queen. We started doing the Book-It
program through Pizza Hut. Sometimes she reads to the boys, to herself, or out
loud while I make dinner. The words that stymie her are the hyphenated ones in
the scriptures. She is pretty amazing! This week she loved doing the Music
& Glue project. The music teacher has the kids study an artist then draw
with music using the same techniques as the artist. Her project this week was
awesome!

Thursday the boys and I went to Peetz for Visiting Teaching. My new
companion works during the day and opened a quilting shop so she is super busy.
We visited with Janet and then the Betony family. I feel for Nora. Her son and
daughter left for a prolonged visit to Arizona again. They left all six kids in
the care of Jimmy (who has heart problems), Nora who works her bum off, and a
20 year old cousin. The baby is only 3 months old. Baby Jimmy was so content to
sit on Grandpa Jimmy’s belly shelf. He is huge compared to Evelyn. I think
Jimmy’s cheeks alone weigh a pound. We visited for a while. I love the Betony
family. I wish there was more we could do to fellowship them. I finally got a
much needed hair trim. Aeric reshaped my curls and got rid of my hair tire.
Meagan watched all 4 of my kiddos. As we left she broke the sad news that Shane
got a new job in Utah. They are moving sometime between December and May.
Meagan is having a baby in January. Shane starts his new job in February, they
will either move in December or when school gets out. We will miss Meagan,
Stella, and Dani so much. Darn it! Shane is still working for Cabela’s but now
as a regional supervisor out of the Alpine store.

Justin, Evelyn and I went on a date Friday evening. Miss Tessa came over to
watch the older three. We had dinner at Oya then went to see Gravity. Evelyn
decided to be a booger. I held her in the back of the theater for half of the
movie. We enjoyed our evening out on the town.

Saturday was Stake Conference weekend. I made an early morning run to
Walmart for a much needed food trip. My shopping trips are much changed now
with Evelyn around. I only get out every 10-14 days or so for a good through
shopping trip, then just short jaunts into Safeway for everything else. It is
working! I do have to make a shopping list to remember items I want to buy at
Walmart. I took photos of Candice and her daughter, Skylar right after Walmart.
She took photos of my delivery in exchange for family photos. We had fun!
Justin left around 1:30 to drive to Cheyenne for the Priesthood and Adult
sessions of Stake Conference. The kids and I went out to visit Alison for a
couple hours. Alison was kind to let us invade and visit in spite of her busy
schedule. Ella and Amelia disappeared for most of the time. The boys loved
playing outside with the chickens and dog. Justin went to Bath and Body for
some cologne. He got “carried away” in the store. I told him to surprise me with something if he wanted. He chose the lotion because of the name. He cracks me up. It even smells awesome! Ella came over while Alison went to the adult session. The girls made expandable trick or treat bags out of paper lunch bags and tape.

***Evelyn is starting to coo this week. She makes the sweetest little coos
and sounds. Whenever Phillip comes near her while she is awake she rapidly
blinks her eyes trying to deflect Phillip’s loving attentions. He loves her so
much…a little too much sometimes. Evelyn stayed in her bath over 25 minutes
last night. She enjoyed swimming and moving her arms and legs around. She also
figured out how to lap up the water with her tongue.